CENTRAL BOLIVIA TOUR
Tour Overview
BOLIVIA
BIRDING TOUR
ANY TIME*
| Duration: | 15 days, 14 nights |
| Group Size: | 2-4 |
| 2-3 Persons Price: | $6580 |
| 4 Persons Price: | $6280 |
| Single Suppl: | $300 |
| Est #Species: | 400-450 |
| Pace: | Moderate |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Best Time:: | May-Nov |
| * This tour is available for any dates of your choosing provided guide services and accommodations are available. | |
Bolivia is a less traveled and to a considerable extent unheralded birding destination. However, it offers some truly superb birding. Habitats range from the rarely visited extremely arid Chaco in the southeast to altitundinal zones of the middle elevation and high Andes, semi-arid plateaus, lakes, lagoons, and rivers. middle elevation plateau savanna, subtropical forests, and Amazonian rainforest. Over 1500 species have been recorded in Bolivia despite its lack of a coastal region, including 21 endemics and 132 near-endemics.
Our Central Bolivia tour covers the main regions from Santa Cruz to La Paz but does not include the more remote Beni region of the north, the Chaco region south of Santa Cruz, or the Apolo area north of La Paz. Best time for birding Bolivia is dry season and early rainy season from May to November. The weather is good in September, but this month is a bit unpleasant in places because of prevalent smoke in the interior from burning agricultural fields.
The tour begins at the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in central Bolivia at the edge of the Chaco. Our first day is devoted to birding Lomas de Arena south of the city and the botanical gardens within the city limits. From there the tour proceeds to Bermejo and on to Refugio Los Volcanes for much of two days birding the canyonlands there. A stop at Samaipata to seek out Tucuman Parrot and Dot-winged Woodpecker near Quirusillas follows. Then the tour proceeds to Pereralta, best place to find the critically endangered Red-fronted Macaw along with Cliff Parakeet. A full day transfer to Comarapa with birding en route is followed by a full day birding nearby Siberia Cloud Forest above the city to seek out the difficult Rufous-faced Antpitta as well as Diademed Tapaculo and others. The transfer to Cochabamba, a heavily agricultural area surrounded by great birding sites, follows. Three full days will be devoted to birding the upper and lower sections of Chapare Road, Cerro Tunari, and Laguna Alalay before we fly to La Paz. Next is a birding excursion to Coroico, birding the upper and lower sections of the famed Old Coroico Road. After spending the morning birding around Coroico, we transfer to the town of Sorata for a one night stay. We'll devote the next morning seeking out the very range restricted endemic Berlepsch's Canastero followed by transfer back to La Paz. We'll spend our last morning at Lake Titicaca to view the endemic flightless Titicaca Grebe. The tour ends at the airport that afternoon or evening.
TOUR NOTES
Internal flight not included in tour price. May be combined with our Apolo and Beni extensions or even our Eastern Bolivia tour.